The present invention relates generally to a milling cutter head in which the cutting inserts are carried by cartridges placed in grooves around the periphery of the head. Also, a spacer plate is placed in each groove. In accordance with the present invention the cutting edges can be finely adjusted radially and axially by forming the cartridges and the spacer plates with serrations according to the present invention.
Cutting tools with cutting elements placed circumferentially around the envelope surface of a milling cutter head are described in, for instance, DE-B-1 102 526. According to this patent specification, the cutting elements are fixed by a serrated Wedge and a screw. However, this construction does not allow any precision adjustment of the cutting edge because any change in the radial or axial position is stepwise and not continuous, each step representing the breadth of one serration. Moreover, this construction does not provide any safety against centrifugal forces that could separate the elements.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,214,825, a fastening arrangement is disclosed for cutting elements in a milling cutter body, comprising a plurality of serrated surfaces with the serrations directed axially, radially and diagonally. Although this construction makes possible an adjustment in both axial and radial directions, it does not permit a linear adjustment or an independent adjustment in one of the two directions, i.e., the two adjustment directions are interdependent. Thus, a certain adjustment in, e.g., the radial direction also results in a certain diagonal, and thereby also axial displacement. Moreover, this adjusting and fixing arrangement requires a number of different pieces resulting in an unnecessarily complicated construction. Inter alia, it comprises two weak break wedges which often rupture due to fatigue. Furthermore, this construction is not sufficiently safe from the effects of centrifugal forces.
Thus, a first object of the present invention is to provide a milling tool that makes possible a very precise adjustment of the cutting edges, both axially and radially.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a milling tool that makes possible a precise and mutually fully independent axial and radial adjustment of the cutting edges.
Still a further object of the present invention is to eliminate any risk that any of the parts in the fastening arrangement is suddenly flung out due to centrifugal force.
Still another object of the present invention is to obtain a well balanced milling cutter body which is not influenced at high cutting speeds, these being common, for instance machining aluminum.
Still another object of the present invention is to attain a precise adjusting of the cutting edges in the milling cutter head axially and radially, with as few separate parts as possible.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a simple and stable cutting insert fastening construction, with as few separate components as possible.
These and further objects have been achieved in a surprising manner by constructing a milling tool that includes the features of the present invention.